Concrete Angel
by alexa35
Summary: It was all a delusion. Everything that she had known... wasn't real. But she didn't, she couldn't, she wouldn't believe it.


**Concrete Angel**

_It was all a delusion. Everything that she had known... wasn't real. But she didn't, she couldn't, she wouldn't believe it.  
_

Inspired by **Fallen December** by **silentsky93**. Thank you for writing that marvellous piece of work. This was reviewed, lengthened and re-written on 15/10/2010.

Music: Slow Dancing In A Burning Room cover by justinrobinett (youtube) on repeat

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Maximum Ride or any other characters associated with the story.

* * *

The girl sat at the top of the skyscraper, gazing pensively at the crowd that was rapidly gathering below. Her legs that dangled dangerously off the edge of the building were swinging lightly. The strong, cold wind whipped her hair into a mess of curls and was a cold blade on her arms.

The noise from the gathering crowd was starting to reach her ears. What was once a distant murmur began to turn into a growing buzz, charged with energy, anxiety, expectation. A jumble of words; some pressing her on, some shouting fervently for her to get off the roof. Occasional flashes of light blinded her against the noon sun.

"We should really go before our cover gets blown," she leaned back on her elbows, turned her head slightly to the left and murmured to no one in particular. "I think they're starting to notice us."

* * *

Angel turned around and looked over at Max, who was lounging right next to her. "We should really go before our cover gets blown," she murmured absently. "I think they're starting to notice us."

Max raised an eyebrow, gestured to the crowd, and gave Angel a "Ya think?" look before turning back to look at the sky. Angel shrugged and glanced back worriedly at the gathering crowd of people.

The flock had been acting weird lately; they were less wound up, more relaxed and were starting to not care so much to the extent Angel was wondering whether she was the only sensibile one left. It first started with Gazzy, then Nudge, then Iggy, then Fang, and then finally, now, Max. Had Itex somehow gotten back to them? Was Celeste the only one left she could rely on to stay the same?

_Sky blue pretty Fang relax wind cooling feels good_

Angel raised an eyebrow. Trust Max to be thinking about Fang in the middle of enjoying the wind. But something was amiss. Angel just had a feeling. The feeling where you knew something was wrong, but just couldn't place your finger on it. _That _feeling. She put it at the back of her mind. Perhaps it was the oddness of this moment; after all, occasions where they could just relax and drop their guard were rare and few. Yes, it must be that. She tucked the nagging feeling at the back of her mind and closed her eyes, letting her mind wander.

Iggy and Gaz were lounging some way back on the roof, discussing possible future ideas for their bombs. Nudge, who were in between the two boys, was lying on her back, looking at the sky and pointing out shapes of clouds and chattering to no one in particular.

_Sonic boomz blast concrete destruction beautiful sonic sonic sonic bombs_

_Fluffy tortoise bunny pretty sky fly clouds pets animals pink  
_

_Big Boy III baddest biggest awesomest coolest better_

Angel frowned. There it was again, that feeling. That something was wrong. That something was very, very wrong. Her frown deepened as she sought for Fang's mind. He was the fartherst away from them, at the other edge of the rooftop, and was, Angel realized, pretending not to examine Max's full glory from the behind.

_Beautiful wind hair smile glowing fly kiss - _

Angel felt the blush of embarrassment of being caught eavesdropping on very personal thoughts rise and decided to leave Fang and his thoughts to himself.

Beautiful, wind, hair, smile, glowing, fly, kiss? Seriously? Everyone knew how much they wanted each other, now if only they would not be so embarrassed about doing whatever they wanted to in front of the flock..

And then, it struck her.

The thing that was amiss. The reason for that feeling.

Angel always heard thoughts as they were formed in their heads. Proper sentences, with emotion and feelings as if the person was talking. Not ... Not these kind of fragmented thoughts jumbled up together into a long string of words.

Angel froze as realizatioin struck home.

She was losing her ability to read minds.

_

* * *

_

A loud bang from behind.

The girl slowly turned behind, her grip on the bear in her palm tightening, and easily slipped into a fighting stance.

Two figures appeared at the doorway to the rooftop. The girl's eyes widened in recognition as she took in the sight of the male; calm, composed and decked in a sickeningly familiar white coat, and the female; motherly, in casual clothes, and slightly out of breath.

"Max," the little girl called, an unreadable edge to her now guarded voice. "We should really be going, right?"

* * *

Angel's moment of shock was short-lived, for there was a sudden bang from the direction of the door. She heard and felt the whole flock immediately jump up move so quickly she couldn't catch up. Max was up front with Fang, and flanking them on the left and right were the rest of the flock. She heard the gasp of anger and betrayal. She felt the dismay. Angel didn't know what happened but she quickly turned around and slipped into her fighting stance, Celeste in hand

And, despite her prior warning from Max's reaction, she still could not believe the sight she saw.

There was Jeb.

And next to him, Dr. Martinez.

No.

No, this couldn't be happening.

* * *

"Ariel," the man called out, and stepped out onto the rooftop. The girl took several steps back."Ariel, step back from the edge of the building." His voice was strained and pleading, with a slightly commanding edge to it. The girl hissed.

"Please, Ariel," the lady called out this time, and took several tentative steps forward. "Ariel, you have to listen to us, come on, please, dear Ariel."

The girl shook her head slowly, almost in incredulity.

"Do you actually think that you can fool me?" she asked, her innocent voice turning harder with each word. "Did you forget? I can read your mind. You're going to bring me back to the School."

"You can't," the woman said, and began pleading. "It's not real, Ariel. It's not real."

"It _is_," the girl insisted. "You can't fool me." She frowned and looked deep in thought. "There aren't any Erasers around, though. That's odd."

The man watched her with eyes full of pity and regret.

"Ariel, I'm really sorry - " His voice cracked. "I - I made this happen, I shouldn't have tried that medicine on you, this is all my fault, please, Ariel, you're too young to die. You're too sweet to die. Please don't jump."

"What are you talking about? We're not going to jump." The girl cocked her head and seemed as if she was listening to someone talk. "Max is wondering why you can't hear her talk right now. Or are you just ignoring the rest of the flock? Is this a new tactic, Jeb?" Her voice was cynical.

* * *

What was this?

What kind of nonsense was Jeb trying to lecture them with? That this wasn't real? And why did he seem to disregard the rest of the flock but Angel? Angel snorted. Right, a new tactic?

_Stop Angel jump weakest link mad Itex School_

Ah. Get to the youngest, the weakest link.

Angel hardened. Weakest link? She'll show them.

* * *

"There is no flock, Ariel! It's not real!"

"Please. Ariel. Please just come here and we'll talk things through, all right?"

"Not unless we fly off first."

"You can't fly, Ariel!"

"It's not real!"

"Ariel - "

"Come on, Max."

"There _is_ no Max!"

"Oh and don't call me Ariel, I don't like it. It was just a cover name."

"Arie - "

"You're lucky Max doesn't feel like fighting."

"IT ISN'T REAL!"

"Bye Jeb. Bye Dr. Martinez."

"Ariel!"

"ANGEL!"

* * *

_The next morning  
Page 3 of the local newspaper_

**Delusional Girl Commits Suicide**

Yesterday - On the 23rd of November, in a bid to fly, a girl from the West Asylum took a leap of faith by leaping off the tallest building in the district. Known by no other name besides Ariel, this seven year old has been widely sought after ever since she escaped from the asylum two years ago, her bear Celeste in hand.

Dr. Jeb Batchelder, prospering scientist in the medicinal field, blames himself for her death.

"I shouldn't have tried that new medicine on her," he repeats again and again. "She was so young. Too young."

This medicine had been a breakthrough - or it had seemed to be, at that point of time. Ariel, who had been suffering from unexplainable delusion ever since her toddler days, was given the medicine, in hope to help her gain a normal life due to her young age. This medicine was designed to allow the patient to differentiate between what was real and what was not, but it only enhanced Ariel's delusion.

She believed that she was part of a "Flock", a group of six children and a talking dog, all with wings and different special abilities of their own. Ariel could supposedly read and control minds, breathe underwater and much more. Ari Batchelder, son of Jeb Batchelder and head of the team sent to find her, has more to say on this.

"Yeah she's got quite a few 'abilities' of her own," the teen says. "She's got quite an imagination, really. Max, the leader of her Flock, is my supposed sister. You'd think I'd know if I had a sister," he laughs, unnerved.

The search team had been put together by Jeb Batchelder, and the search for Ariel had been his obsession for the past two years as he takes full responsibility for her condition.

"She was a sweet little girl, really," Dr. Valencia Martinez, head of staff of the West Asylum says, wiping her tears away. "Ariel, oh Ariel. Sweet little Angel. I'll always remember you. We'll remember you."

_Report by Anne Walker_

* * *

**-FINIS-**


End file.
